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7 Best Share CFD Brokers for 2026

By
Jitan Solanki
Reviewed By
Aviva Gurevich
Updated: Jun 21, 2026
Advertising DisclosureWe prioritize rigorous, unbiased testing through our independent review process. While our ratings are objective, we receive compensation that may influence list placement. Learn how we make money

Trading share CFDs can be a fantastic way to capitalize on the significant moves that stock equities can produce. However, the offering among retail brokers varies wildly in the number of share CFDs available to trade on, their spreads, and commissions.

Fortunately, we have been reviewing brokers since 2011, so we know the best from the rest. Drawing on my own personal experience as a trader and broker reviewer, I’ve identified the top 7 share CFD brokers to consider below.

List of Top Stock CFD Brokers

Best Brokers for US Traders

10 equity index futures contracts. Access Kalshi-exchange prediction markets. User-friendly proprietary web and mobile platforms. 24/7 customer support. Comprehensive Futures Trading Academy resources.

Best Brokers for International Traders

Trade on 1,860+ share CFDs. Trade 50 stocks in extended hours. Access MT5 for desktop, web and mobile. Free VPS hosting. Experience fast execution speeds averaging 12ms.

800+ share CFDs on MT4/MT5, cTrader and TradingView. 10,000+ share CFDs on Iress platform. Low spreads, commissions and minimum charges. Fee-free deposits and withdrawals. Trading Central stock market research and signals.

1,250+ share and ETF CFDs. Commission-free share CFDs and low overnight fees. Comprehensive education resources with a stock market trading course. Duplitrade platform for share CFD copy trading.*

1,130 share CFDs available. High-quality built-in market research and insights in Libertex app. MT4/MT5 trading app available and real stocks for investing.

800+ share CFDs. Trade from MT4, MT5, TradingView, Vantage Web Trading and Vantage App. Access copy trading and free VPS hosting. Large selection of educational courses and webinars and daily financial news.

17,000+ global share CFDs, options, forward contracts and 13,000+ real stocks. Direct Market Access (DMA) share CFDs available. Trade from IG Web Trader, ProRealTime, L2 Dealer platforms. Access out-of-hours trading and IPOs.

*AvaTrade doesn’t allow CFD trading in Spain; only Futures are available.

How Did FXEmpire Select the Best Share CFD Brokers?

  • I checked each broker to see whether they offer share CFDs to trade on and from which regions (US, Europe, Asia, etc.).
  • By opening a live trading account, I checked the live spreads of popular share CFDs to compare them against the industry average among brokers.
  • I examined the fees of trading share CFDs with each broker, such as the commission per trade, overnight swap rate, market data fees, deposit and withdrawals.
  • As CFDs offer leveraged trading, I checked the margin rates for trading share CFDs with each broker.
  • I tested the broker’s trading platforms to ensure that high-quality stock chart data is available, as well as multiple order types and timeframes.
  • I also checked for any additional trading tools, market research, and educational resources to help with trading share CFDs.

Our team of experts has identified each broker’s strengths and weaknesses using FXEmpire’s comprehensive methodology.

This analysis and my own trading experience have led to the findings and research below for the best forex brokers for share CFD trading.

Best Overall

73% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing money. (EU, UK)
  • Min Deposit
    $0
  • Tradable Instruments
    2090
  • Fees
    High

Why We Picked It

Founded in 1999 and based in London, FxPro is our best overall share CFD broker for international traders. Over 1,862 share CFDs are available to trade on from the MT5 platform, including 50 stocks in extended hours. With zero deposit and withdrawal fees, market research and trading signals from Trading Central, FxPro takes the number one spot.

Key Features:

  • Stock Trading Platforms: MT5 desktop, web and mobile
  • Leverage on Share CFDs: Up to 1:25 (depending on region)
  • Number of Share CFDs: 1,860+

I found that of the 1,862 share CFDs available to trade on, they mostly cover the USA, UK, Germany, France, Netherlands, Belgium, Portugal, and Switzerland. There are also 46 ETF CFDs from the USA available to trade on. This is a strong lineup of instruments that beats the industry average of 200-300 share CFDs.

After opening the FxPro Raw+ Account, which offers the tightest spreads with no commission on share CFDs, I found a spread of 17 cents for Apple CFDs, which is better than the 24 cents industry average. It was even better for Tesla, which had a spread of just 21 cents, much better than the industry average of 41 cents, making FxPro a cost-effective broker for stock CFD traders.

While FxPro does offer many other trading platforms, you can only trade share CFDs through MetaTrader 5. This is not a bad thing, as MT5 has been the go-to platform for multi-asset class traders for decades. I like to use the MT5 desktop platform as it has the highest level of customization and you can buy automated trading strategies to use from MetaTrader Market.

Pros and Cons

Pros
  • Better-than-average selection of share CFDs
  • Low spreads on stocks on Raw+ account
  • Trading Central research
  • Zero deposit/withdrawal fees
Cons
  • Inactivity fee

Best Spreads on CFD Shares

Contracts for Difference (CFDs) are leveraged over-the-counter derivative products and carry a high level of risk to your capital. You should only risk capital that you can afford to lose. In certain circumstances, due to fluctuations in market value you may not get back your initial investment amount. You may not only lose your initial investment but you may incur a liability to pay a further amount to cover losses. This means you can lose more money than you have invested.
  • Min Deposit
    $100
  • Tradable Instruments
    10180
  • Fees
    Low

Why We Picked It

Founded in 2005, FP Markets is a top broker to consider for cost-conscious stock traders seeking the best spreads. I found over 10,000 share CFDs are available to trade on from 5 trading platforms covering the USA, Australia, the UK, and European stock exchanges. There’s also an option for direct market access (DMA) trading on the Iress platform, providing low spreads and transparent pricing.

Key Features:

  • Stock Trading Platforms: MT4/MT5, cTrader, TradingView, Iressdesktop, web and mobile
  • Leverage on Share CFDs: Up to 1:20 (depending on region)
  • Number of Share CFDs: 800+ (MT4/MT5, cTrader, TradingView), 10,000+ (Iress)

During our live fee test, I found the spread on Apple CFDs during the New York open was 9 cents, beating the industry average of 33 cents. There is a 2-cent per share commission on US shares, which is also better than the industry average. I was impressed with the low minimum charge of just 2 USD per side, which is significantly better than other brokers like IG’s $15 minimum charge.

Where I believe FP Markets really stands out is the ability to trade over 800 share CFDs directly from the TradingView platform. This is because TradingView has the largest social trading community in the world, sharing different trading ideas, which is helpful for beginners. The platform has a very powerful stock scanner with technical and fundamental analysis filters, which helps me to scan thousands of stocks from all over the world very quickly.

I also found the Iress platform and account offers Direct Market Access trading on over 10,000 share CFDs. This means you can view the order book from the stock exchange and place orders directly with them, which can provide more precise trade execution and lower spreads.

Pros and Cons

Pros
  • Large selection of share CFDs
  • Multiple stock trading platforms
  • Low minimum charges and spreads on chare CFDs
  • Useful stock market research
Cons
  • Offshore entity is unregulated

Best for Beginners

Trading CFDs and FX Options entail risk and could result in the loss of your capital.
  • Min Deposit
    $100
  • Tradable Instruments
    1472
  • Fees
    Medium

Why We Picked It

Founded in 2006, AvaTrade is rated as the top share CFD broker for beginners. The AvaAcademy is full of courses, webinars and videos useful for aspiring stock traders. Trading Central offers helpful stock market research and stock trading ideas and beginners can access share CFD copy trading from DupliTrade.

Key Features:

  • Stock Trading Platforms: MT4/MT5 (desktop, web, mobile), Ava Web Trader, AvaTrade App, DupliTrade
  • Leverage on Share CFDs: Up to 1:20
  • Number of Share CFDs: 1,250+

In our live fee test, I found the spread on Apple CFDs was 23 cents at the New York open, beating the 33 cents industry average. With zero commission, deposit and withdrawals, and low overnight swap fees, AvaTrade can be a good fit for beginners who want to keep the costs down when starting out. However, this an inactivity fee of 10 base currency units if the account is dormant for 2 months, which may be tight for some traders.

Where AvaTrade really stands out for beginners is the wealth of resources in the AvaAcademy. I was impressed with the wide range of trading courses and webinars available that cover key trading concepts for beginners, like trading psychology, risk management, technical and fundamental analysis. There are also dedicated courses just for share CFD trading which offer valuable and helpful information.

Another standout feature is that beginners can access two copy trading apps in AvaSocial and Duplitrade. I found that there are many share CFD traders you can follow and copy when connecting your account to Duplitrade. This can be a useful way to gain exposure to the market, while learning at the same time and, in the future, become a strategy provider to increase your earnings.

Pros and Cons

Pros
  • Large selection of CFDS on shares and ETFs
  • No commissions on share CFDs
  • Stock market trading course
  • Copy trading
Cons
  • Inactivity fee after 2 months of no account use

Best Trading App

CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 86% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
  • Min Deposit
    $100
  • Tradable Instruments
    1383
  • Fees
    Medium

Why We Picked It

Founded in 1997, we found that Libertex offers a proprietary, feature-rich trading app that offers a quick and efficient way to trade the market on the move, with helpful market research and insights to trade on over 1,130 share CFDs and also invest in real stocks.

Key Features:

  • Stock Trading Platforms: MT4/MT5 (desktop, web, mobile), Libertex (web, mobile)
  • Leverage on Share CFDs: Up to 1:20
  • Number of Share CFDs: 1,130+

Libertex offers the well-known and popular MT4 and MT5 mobile trading apps and its own proprietary Libertex app. The MT5 app is an upgraded version of MT4 and offers far more timeframes, chart types, and indicators. You can also access basic drawing tools like horizontal lines and trend lines, and plot them onto your chart from the app. These are great features for technical analysis traders on the move, and the MT5 app is my preference.

I found the Libertex app is also very useful to trade on the move, offering quick order execution with several timeframes and chart types available. It is tailored to more fundamental traders as it offers built-in market research, news, overviews, an economic calendar, and weekly digests covering economics and market-moving news – things the MT4/MT5 apps don’t offer. However, the Libertex app doesn’t include any technical indicators or drawing tools, so it is not ideal for technical traders.

Our live fee test showed the spread on Apple CFDs was 16 cents during the New York open, beating the 33 cents industry average. With no commission per trade or deposit fees, Libertex is useful for traders who seek a variety of mobile apps to trade from.

Pros and Cons

Pros
  • Share CFDs and real stocks
  • Intuitive and beginner-friendly Libertex mobile app
  • Built-in market research
  • Low spreads on share CFDs
Cons
  • Limited educational content

Best Share CFD Trading Platform

Trading derivatives carries significant risks. It is not suitable for all investors and if you are a professional client, you could lose substantially more than your initial investment. When acquiring our derivative products, you have no entitlement, right or obligation to the underlying financial assets. Past performance is no indication of future performance and tax laws are subject to change. The information on this website is general in nature and doesn't take into account your personal objectives, financial circumstances, or needs. Accordingly, before acting on the advice, you should consider whether the advice is suitable for you having regard to your objectives, financial situation and needs. We encourage you to seek independent advice if necessary. Please read our legal documents and ensure that you fully understand the risks before you make any trading decisions.
  • Min Deposit
    $50
  • Tradable Instruments
    1056
  • Fees
    Low

Why We Picked It

Established in 2009, Vantage provides a good range of extra trading tools for the MT4 platform to support share CFD trading. Authorized and regulated by ASIC, VFSC, CIMA, and FSCA you can trade US, European and Australian shares using the Vantage Smart Trader Tools MT4 package.

Key Features:

  • Stock Trading Platforms: MT4/MT5 (desktop, web, mobile), TradingView (web, mobile), Vantage Web Trading, Vantage App
  • Leverage on Share CFDs: Up to 1:33
  • Number of Share CFDs: 800+

I was impressed by the range of different trading platforms Vantage offers. MT4/MT5 have been the gold standard of trading CFDs for many years, and the desktop platform offers a high level of customization and automated trading capabilities and mainly geared to intermediate/advanced traders. TradingView has now superseded the popularity of MetaTrader, as it’s become the largest social trading platform in the world, where you can share and view trading ideas and access more indicators and tools, and is a great option for beginners and casual traders.

The Vantage Web Trading platform is also impressive. I found it the easiest and most user-friendly of all the trading platforms, with the ability to manage all your accounts from one place, one-click trading execution and charts powered by TradingView. My favorite feature is the ability to switch between light and dark modes at the click of a button.

During our live fee test at the New York open, I found the spread on Apple CFDs was 16 cents, beating the industry average of 33 cents. With zero commission for share CFDs, no deposit, withdrawal or inactivity fees, Vantage is a top broker to consider.

Pros and Cons

Pros
  • Range of advanced platform for stock trading
  • One account syncs across all devices
  • Free VPS hosting
  • Copy trading
Cons
  • Customer support can be slower during busier hours

Best for Professional Traders

4.7
68% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money
  • Min Deposit
    $50
  • Tradable Instruments
    19234
  • Fees
    Medium

Why We Picked It

Founded in 1974, IG is listed on the London Stock Exchange and offers one of the largest ranges of products and services for professional traders. This includes over 17,000 global share CFDs, options and forward contracts, 13,000+ real stocks with access to multiple trading and investing accounts, as well as Direct Market Access (DMA) share CFDs and stock options and IPOs.

Key Features:

  • Stock Trading Platforms: IG Online Platform, IG App, TradingView, ProRealTime, L2 Dealer
  • Leverage on Share CFDs: 1:5 (retail), 1:20 (professional)
  • Number of Share CFDs: 17,000+ CFDs, 13,000+ real stocks

IG offers one of the largest selections of share CFDs and real stocks in the industry, covering the UK, Europe, the US, and Asia. It also offers access to trade upcoming IPOs and options, as well as forward contracts to hold stock trades for longer without any overnight fees. These can all be accessed from IG’s Online Platform, which I found is feature-rich and easy to use. The web platform is highly customizable and offers a news feed, one-click trading, the ability to trade from the chart, market sentiment data, a stock screener and trading signals from Autochartist.

The ProRealTime platform is geared to automated share CFD traders and is unique as it offers a beginner-friendly way to code strategies using its ProRealCode. I actively use this function and have no coding experience, but I managed to create scanners to filter stocks based on technical analysis indicators very easily. My favorite feature, which is fairly new, is that you can also trade share CFDs with IG from TradingView. I trade many of the hundreds of 24-hour US stocks IG provides, and I found it easy to set up and trade with good quality trade execution.

My fee test and the New York open showed Apple CFD spread of 3 cents, which is much better than the 33 cents industry average. However, as IG doesn’t widen the market spread, it does charge a commission of 2 cents per share on US stocks, which is around the industry average. Professionally categorized traders can also access IG’s trading desk platform called L2 Dealer and access Direct Market Access share CFDs, where you can view the order book and place orders directly with the exchange.

Pros and Cons

Pros
  • Largest selection of share CFDs in the industry
  • Wide selection of trading platforms
  • Direct Market Access share CFD trading
  • Trade 24-hour US stocks from TradingView
  • Trade on IPOs
Cons
  • Minimum online commission charge is $15, which may be high for small accounts

Best Stock Index Futures in the US

Trading with leverage comes with a high risk and may not be suitable for everyone.
  • Min Deposit
    $100
  • Tradable Instruments
    64
  • Fees
    Low

Why We Picked It

Founded in 2008 and listed on the London Stock Exchange, Plus500 is a giant in the industry with a market cap of over $4 billion. It’s a top broker for US traders as it provides access to futures contracts from the Chicago Mercantile Exchange and Kalshi exchange-listed prediction market contracts, all from an easy-to-use WebTrader platform and mobile app.

Key Features:

  • Stock Trading Platform: Plus500 WebTrader and mobile app
  • Leverage on Stocks: Up to 1:500 Intraday
  • Stock Index Futures Contracts: 9 from the US, 1 from Japan
  • Standard Contract Commission: $0.89 (excluding Exchange and NFA fees)
  • Spread: 25 cents E-mini S&P 500

While share CFDs are not available in the US, it is still possible to trade equity index futures contracts, which can offer some of the same conditions as trading long and short on margin. Plus500 US offers benchmark contracts such as the E-mini S&P 500, E-mini Dow Jones, E-mini Nasdaq-100, and Nikkei, as well as micro contracts like the Micro E-mini Dow Jones. Micro contracts are useful for beginner traders as they allow you to trade with a small account. For example, the margin requirement for the Micro E-mini Dow Jones is just $50 per contract.

I found it interesting that the broker also offers access to prediction markets from the Kalshi exchange. This provides an alternative way to speculate on the stock market. Currently, I saw a market for ‘Will GameStop acquire eBay this year?’ and ‘S&P close price end of 2026?’. This opens up a wealth of trading opportunities alongside the traditional speculation in established markets.

I found it very easy to trade with the Plus500 WebTrader platform and mobile app. They have a user-friendly design, offer live charts without any extra fees and multiple order types. With a low minimum deposit, useful educational resources and helpful chat support from our live test, Plus500 US is a top broker to consider.

Pros and Cons

Pros
  • Futures and prediction markets
  • Easy-to-use web and mobile platform
  • Comprehensive research resources
  • No platform, order or data fees
Cons
  • No phone support

Meet Our Experts

The forex and CFD analysts and editors at FXEmpire bring together seasoned trading professionals and experienced financial journalists. Many of our experts have been featured in leading publications such as Investopedia and Forbes, and all of them combine strong industry credentials with hands-on trading experience.

Get to Know Our Authors

Dan BlystoneBroker Analyst

Dan Blystone began his career in the trading industry in 1998 on the floor of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. Later, Dan gained insight into the forex industry during his time as a Series 3 licensed futures and forex broker. He also traded at a couple of different prop trading firms in Chicago. Dan is well-equipped to recommend the best forex brokers due to his extensive experience and understanding of the brokerage industry.

Jitan SolankiBroker Analyst

Jitan Solanki is a professional trader, market analyst, and educator. He day trades major currency and index markets and focuses on swing trading US equities and commodities. A qualified Market Technician, Jitan also works with trader education and brokerage companies on various projects. These include market analysis, live trading events, and broker reviews. As an experienced trader and educator, Jitan brings all his qualities in action when reviewing and recommending brokers.

Plamen StoyanovBroker Analyst

Having been a retail trader since 2013, Plamen has gained an in-depth understanding of the challenges that novice traders face today. His expertise is swing trading and day trading with a heavy emphasis on psychological and fundamental analysis. Plamen’s favourite trading instruments include FX majors and gold. He earned a Bachelor's degree in Economics and International Relations. Plamen's broad experience has equipped him with the expertise to recommend the best forex brokers.

Vladimir ZernovBroker Analyst

In more than 15 years of trading in the financial markets, Vladimir dealt with a wide range of brokers and financial instruments. His career as a day-trader at a proprietary trading firm goes back to 2007. Later, Vladimir turned to longer time frames and became an independent trader and analyst managing his own portfolio. Using his experience, he helps traders find the best broker in his reviews.

Dive deeper with our experts.Continue the conversation with traders and analysts in our community channels.

About the Author

Jitan SolankiBroker Analyst

Jitan Solanki is a professional trader, market analyst, and educator. He day trades major currency and index markets and focuses on swing trading US equities and commodities. A qualified Market Technician, Jitan also works with trader education and brokerage companies on various projects. These include market analysis, live trading events, and broker reviews. As an experienced trader and educator, Jitan brings all his qualities in action when reviewing and recommending brokers.

Why you can trust FXEmpire

At FXEmpire, we strive to provide unbiased, thorough and accurate broker reviews by industry experts to help our users make smarter financial decisions.

Why you can trust FXEmpire

FXEmpire was founded in 2011, making us one of the first forex broker review sites. You can trust FXEmpire because of our thorough and unbiased review process. With over a decade of experience, we have a team of industry experts who conduct rigorous tests to ensure our reviews are accurate and unbiased. Our reviews are designed to bring clarity and confidence to the process of choosing a broker, and are based on objective criteria and measurable data. Our editorial team is composed of trading industry professionals and seasoned financial journalists, who ensure that our reviews are accurate and unbiased. Additionally, our review system is based on 9 core categories and over 250 distinct variables, which ensures that all aspects of a broker are considered before giving a final rating. So, you can trust FXEmpire to provide you with honest and informative reviews that will help you make an informed decision on which broker will best enable you to reach your financial goals.
Advertising DisclosureWe prioritize rigorous, unbiased testing through our independent review process. While our ratings are objective, we receive compensation that may influence list placement. Learn how we make money